This invention relates generally to material handling apparatus and relates, more particularly, to apparatus used to lift and support an item, such as a spool about which material is wound or can be wound, as the item is rotated for the purpose of either winding the material from the item or winding the material about the item or for transporting the item to an alternative site.
At a construction job site, an item, such as a relatively large spool of coiled material, such as wire or cable, is commonly desired to be supported above a floor to facilitate the unwinding of material from the spool or the winding of material about the spool. For these purposes, there exists a class of apparatus including a pair of stands which are positionable on opposite sides of the spool and are capable of lifting the opposite sides of the spool from the floor to a desired elevated position at which the item can be rotated during either a material unwinding process or a material winding process. Moreover, such stands have been equipped with casters enabling the elevated spool to be wheeled across the floor to an alternative site. An example of a pair of wheeled stands capable of lifting the item from the floor to an elevated position for material winding or unwinding purposes and which enables the item, while elevated, to be manually wheeled across the floor is shown and described in our U.S. Pat. No. 9,187,289, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
However, some items of windable material, such as a large spool having wire wound thereabout, are simply too large or heavy to be easily lifted by conventional stands. Furthermore and even if lifted to an elevated condition, they are likely to be too heavy to be manually rolled across the floor or not durable enough to be moved with a forklift, or forklift truck.
We have described in our co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/544,145 an apparatus of the aforedescribed class which embodies stands, or jacks, which are capable of lifting and supporting relatively heavy items of windable material whose size can fall within a broad range of sizes and whose construction is durable enough to enable the apparatus, with the relatively heavy item supported thereby, to be moved to an alternative site by way of a forklift. Furthermore, for the instance in which the item includes a centrally-disposed barrel, the apparatus of this referenced application includes carriage assemblies which are cooperable with the corresponding end of the barrel of the item for purposes of lifting the item with the apparatus.
It would be desirable to provide such an apparatus whose carriage assemblies are intended to cooperate with an item for item-lifting purposes in an alternative manner to those described in the referenced application.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus of the aforedescribed class for lifting and supporting an item, such as a heavy spool for holding windable material, to facilitate the rotation of the item for the purpose of unwinding material from the item or winding material about the item or for transport of the lifted item to an alternative site as the apparatus is either rolled across the floor or is moved with a forklift.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus having a jack whose components can be quickly adjusted through relatively large distances for placement of the jack into position for lifting the item.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus having a jack whose components are reinforced in a manner which appreciably increases the durability of the apparatus.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus having wheels which enables the apparatus to be wheeled across the floor or which can be removed to enable the apparatus frame to rest directly upon a floor.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which is capable of lifting a spool of windable material whose diameter falls within a relatively broad range of spool diameters or whose width falls within a relatively broad range of spool widths.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which utilizes a motor for rotating a spool being supported by the apparatus.
A yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus having improved means for cooperating with an item for item-lifting purposes.
A yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.